Card deck holder



Aug. 26, 1952 c. c. ALFORD CARD DECK HOLDER Filed Jan. 15, 1949 CARL C. 411mm)" Gttomeg Patented Aug. 26, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENTAOFFICE CARD DECK HOLDER Carl 0. Alford, Glendale, Calif.

Application January 15, 1949, Serial No..71,09l

, 3 Claims. 1 V

This invention relates to a combined cribbage board and holder for a deck of cards.

An object of the present invention is to provide a convenient and compact device of the character indicated.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a device embodying novel and improved means for'presenting a holder for a deck of cards in a convenient position for ready extraction therefrom of a card deck.

Another object'of the invention is to provide a folding cribbage boardthat houses a card deck holder and which, when opened, presents said holder for ready extraction of a deck of cards therefrom.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide novel and improved means interconnecting the cribbage board and the deck holder for effectin the mentioned advantageous function of the combined device.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operations, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawings merely show and the following description merely describes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given byway of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a broken plan view of a combined cribhage board and card deck holder according to the present invention and shown in open playing position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view, as taken on the plane of line 2--2 of Fig. 1, showing the board closed.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view, in the same line of section, with the parts in the open position of the device.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the operative association between the cribbage board and deck holder.

The combined device that is illustrated in the drawing comprises, generally, a folding cribbage board 5, a card deck holder 6, means 1 interconnecting the same at one end of the latter, and means 8 separably engaging the card deck holder and the cribbage board.

The cribbage board 5 that is shown comprises similar sections 9 and [0 connected by hinges ll whereby said sections may be opened from a closed position as in Fig. 2 to the open playing position of Fig. 1. The inner faces of each. board are provided with a suitable number of suitably arranged seats or holes l2 receptive of pegs employed in the game of cribbage. The sections 9 and [0 are also provided with aligned recesses 13 and one of these retains therein a cylindrical container [4 for scoring pegs, said container having an opening in its side which, when moved to exposed positions, gives access tothe interior of said container.

According to the invention, the sections 9 and [6, at the approximate middle thereof, are each provided with a cavity I5 and 16, respectively, and said cavities align to form a chamber I! that houses the card deck holder 6. V

The card deck holder 6 comprises an openended container I8 that substantially fills chamber H, but with suitable clearance. Said container, at its closed end, is connected by hinges I 9 to that end wall 20 of cavity I'5 that is adjacent to hinges ll. Accordingly, hinges It and is are spaced from each other, providing different pivot center, with respect to section 9, of section III and card holder 6.

The hinges l9 comprise part of the means 1, said means further including a, hairpin-type of spring element 22, one on each side of the deck holder 6. Each element 22 has one leg 23, having a bent end 24, that extends into the side of, and is, thereby, connected with, container IS, ,a second leg 25 having an eye 26 on its end through. which extends a pivot pin or screw v2! that extends from wall 28 of cavity l5,"and a torsion loop 29 connecting the legs.

In the closed position of the device, as in Fig. 2, the leg end 24 and eye 26 of each element 22 are so relatively located as to tension elements 22. Hinges I9, being in a plane above leg ends 24 and 26, this tension of the spring elements manifests itself as a force that urges the holder 6 in a direction toward and into cavity 15. Accordingly, said holder will retain its position in its cavity unless a counteracting force is applied to lift the same therefrom.

This latter force is afforded through the means 8 which comprises a pin 30 extending from wall 3| of cavity l6, and an open-ended slot 32 formed in the side of holder 6 that is adjacent to wall 31 and into which said pin extends. It will be evident that when section It] is raised on hinges l I, the pin 30, by engagement in slot 32 will raise movement of section ID.

3 the holder on hinges I9. Since hinges 19 are located between hinges II and the means 8, the holder 6 will describe a smaller arc than will pin 30 and said p'in will subsequently move out of slot 32 to allow completion of the board-opening However, this contact between pin and slot is so arranged that it is not lost before the element'ends 24 pass beyond a line connecting pin 26 and the centerof hinges IS. The tendency of the spring elements to effect spreading of legs 23 and 25 may now take effect to bring holder 6 to the position shown in Fig. 3 in which the open end of said holder is presented upwardly to facilitate ready removal ofa card deck 33 therefrom. After the boardisopened and the deck removed, the holder is manually pressed down and the above-described toggleor' member and the opposite end of the other scc tion, and over-center spring means adjacent the pivot that connect the member and said one section for urging said member in a direction toward the section with which it is hingedly connected when the sections are closed, said separable connecting means, upon raising of one section on the hinge connecting the same to the other, raising the card deck-holding member on its pivot means to move the cverc'entefr spring means to over-center position to thereby hold said member raised after separation from the section that is raised, the latter section, after said separation, being movable on its hinge to a flat position aligned with the other section.

2. -A game unit comprising two sections each having a cavity -in one face, a hinge connecting over-center action of elements 22 will be effective to keep the holder down in its cavity.

After completion of play, the holder is manually raised on its hinge and the card deck replaced therein. The section Ii) is then swung on hinges II to bring the bottom face 34 of cavity it into engagement with the deck '33. Now, as'section i'il isfu-r'th er moved to closing position, pin as will re-enter slot '32 and, then, as the ends 2 3 of elements 22 move past or'over-ce'nte'r of hinge it and pins 21, the force thus stored in said elements wi l not only effect closing of the board but will also jmaintainthe same closed without the need of additionallatches or'c'atche's.

It 'will be evident'that hinges i I may be'of the type wherein inter-fitting integral ears on sections 9 and it! are connected by a pintle. Also, pin 38- and slot [32 inay be reversed, the former extending from the holder and the latter being formed in cavity wall 3!. p v v v While the invention that has been illustrated and described is now regarded as the preferred embodiment, the construction is, of course, subject'to modifica'tions Without departing from the spirit-and scope of the invention. Itis therefore not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within'the "scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising two sections having a'chamber'in the interior thereof whensaid sections are closed one on'the other, a'hinge connecting'the sections at one end thereof, a card deck-holding member within'said chamber, pivot means adjacent to said end of the sections and spaced from the hinge connecting the sections and pivotally connecting one end of said member to one of'said sections, means separably connecting the opposite end of said the sections at oneend thereof adapting said sections to be folded one on the other with the two cavities cooperating to constitute an inner chamber and, selectively, to 'be unfolded toexpose the cavities, a card deck-holding memberloosely-fitting and substantially filling-saidinnerchamber, a pivot in the cavityof one 'sectionandadiacent to the hinged end thereof to pivotally' connect the deck-holding member'and said one section, said member havingzaside wall provided with a slot extending from the free end of said wall, a pin extending laterally into the ;cavity of the other of said sections and having separable engagement with. said slot to firstraisethe deckholding member from fthe cavity during initial unfolding movement of said other section -and then separate from saidslot during completion of said unfolding movement, and over-center spring means interconnecting the pivotally'connected section and, member to hold the latter raised or'depressed into the cavity of the latter section, as desired. j v v ,1 f V 3. A game unit according to claim 2: the hinge connecting the sections beingnispos'ed in -the plane of the mentioned facesrofthe sections when unfolded, whereby said sections; after separation of the one with the pin from thedeck holding member, areadapted to open flati j ,1-.. j

' 'GARL C. ALFORD.

REFERENCES; .oITED I The following references "are of record in the file of this patent: A

UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Number 7 Name Date 414,490 Bretzfield1313:; Nov. 5, 339 919,076 Bangnow ;Apr. 20, 1909 1,901,734 Suez; iller; 1451933 2,112,866 Segal rhpn sjie'ss 

